Staff
- Sara Cortez
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(916) 319-8348
Special Education, Preschool, Child Nutrition, and Facilities - Kenneth Kapphahn
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(916) 319-8339
Proposition 98, School District Budgets, School Transportation - Lisa Qing
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(916) 319-8306
California Community Colleges - Michael Alferes
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(916) 319-8338
Local Control Funding Formula, Charter Schools, Alternative Schools, High School Career Technical Education - Natalie Gonzalez
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(916) 319-8320
California State University, Student Financial Aid - Dylan Hawksworth-Lutzow
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(916) 319-8308
Child Care, Expanded Learning, Teachers, and Education Technology - Edgar Cabral
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(916) 319-8343
Deputy Legislative Analyst: K-12 Education - Jennifer Pacella
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(916) 319-8332
Deputy Legislative Analyst: Higher Education
Publications
Education
To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.
The Master Plan at 50: Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts--Coordinating Higher Education in California
January 28, 2010 - California’s approach to coordination of the state's higher education system over the past 50 years has been indirect, resting mostly on well–defined missions and eligibility pools to guide the development of higher education institutions. This approach worked well during several decades of expansion, producing arguably the greatest higher education system in the world. The effectiveness of this approach has declined over the last quarter century, however, and institutions have been left to pursue their separate interests with insufficient mechanisms to advance the state’s priorities. This report examines the need for a systemwide approach to planning and coordination of California’s system of higher education, and proposes strategies for improvement.
Webcast: Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts--Coordinating Higher Education in California
- Format:
- Video
January 27, 2010 - In this 5-minute video, analyst Judy Heiman discusses the LAO Report "Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts--Coordinating Higher Education in California."
Prisons vs. Universities Proposal Would Unwisely Lock Up Budget Flexibility
January 26, 2010 - In his January budget, the Governor proposed a state constitutional amendment that would require reductions in spending on state corrections, with corresponding increases in spending for public universities. Beginning in 2014–15, the state would be required to dedicate no more than 7 percent of state General Fund spending to corrections and no less than 10 percent to public universities. We urge the Legislature to reject this proposal because it (1) would unwisely constrain the state’s ability to allocate funding where it is most needed each year; and (2) is unnecessary, as the state already has the ability to shift funding among programs without this constitutional amendment. Special session.
Overview of Proposition 98 Budget
- Format:
January 25, 2010 - Presented to Legislative Staff
Overview of Education Budget
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January 19, 2010 - Presented to Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
What Role Does the State Play in Public Higher Education?
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December 15, 2009 - What Role Does the State Play in Public Higher Education? This is one of a series of issue briefs examining important questions about higher education funding in California. For more information on this topic, or to request other briefs from this series, contact the Legislative Analyst’s Office Higher Education section at (916) 319-8349, or visit our Web site at www.lao.ca.gov.
California’s Budget Situation
- Format:
- PowerPoint
December 4, 2009 - California’s Budget Situation, presented by Mac Taylor to the California School Boards Association on December 4, 2009.
Does the State Spend More on Corrections or Higher Education?
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December 3, 2009 - Does the State Spend More on Corrections or Higher Education? This is one of a series of issue briefs examining important questions about higher education funding in California. For more information on this topic, or to request other briefs from this series, contact the Legislative Analyst’s Office Higher Education section at (916) 319-8339, or visit our Web site at www.lao.ca.gov.
What Is the Variation in Racial and Ethnic Group Participation at California Public Colleges and Universities?
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December 3, 2009 - What Is the Variation in Racial and Ethnic Group Participation at California Public Colleges and Universities? This is one of a series of issue briefs examining important questions about higher education funding in California. For more information on this topic, or to request other briefs from this series, contact the Legislative Analyst’s Office Higher Education section at (916) 319-8349, or visit our website at www.lao.ca.gov.
How Fast Is the College-Age Population Growing?
- Format:
December 3, 2009 - How Fast Is the College-Age Population Growing? This is one of a series of issue briefs examining important questions about higher education funding in California. For more information on this topic, or to request other briefs from this series, contact the Legislative Analyst’s Office Higher Education section at (916) 319-8339, or visit our Web site at www.lao.ca.gov.
Key Requirements of Race to the Top Grants: Review of Final Application
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December 2, 2009 - Presented to Assembly Education Committee
Webcast: Improving State Oversight Of Academic Expansions
- Format:
- Video
December 2, 2009 - In this six-minute video, analyst Mark Whitaker summarizes the findings from our report, Improving State Oversight Of Academic Expansions.
The Master Plan at 50: Improving State Oversight of Academic Expansions
December 2, 2009 -
The state’s public higher education segments periodically create new degree programs and schools, and each segment has internal procedures for reviewing and authorizing them. State law delegates the state’s oversight of proposals to the California Postsecondary Education Commission (CPEC) but their role is only advisory and limited to certain proposals. In 2007 CPEC determined that a new law school proposed for University of California (UC) Irvine was unnecessary and duplicative. The opening of the new law school this fall despite CPEC’s objections calls into question the ability of the state’s approval process to prevent unnecessary or nonpriority programs and schools. In this report, we examine a number of new programs and schools that have been approved in the last few years to determine the efficacy of the state’s approval process. We conclude that there are several structural changes that are needed to improve the approval process including (a) measuring supply and demand in major fields, (b) identifying the extent to which proposals fit with the state's priorities and resources, and (c) increasing oversight from the Legislature.
(Short video summary)
Key Requirements of Race to the Top Grants: Turning Around Struggling Schools
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November 18, 2009 - Presented to Assembly Education Committee
Key Requirements of Race to the Top Grants:Effective Teachers and School Leaders
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November 18, 2009 - Presented to Assembly Education Committee